Bicentennial Hall should not have been reopened

This letter follows The Hub coverage of the Sept. 25 Fair Haven Borough Council meeting.

Closed by the borough of Fair Haven a year ago after Hurricane Floyd, Bicentennial Hall was reopened on Sept. 23 for the historic association’s "Garden Party."

I have written to the six candidates running for the three open Borough Council seats to urge each to step up to the issues involved in this situation.

As Peter Kusulas and I said at the council meeting, reopening Bicentennial Hall seems a questionable decision in view of the building’s present condition.

On Aug. 30, the borough posted the building for occupancy of 225. The historic association said we were a crowd of 175 at the party. Guests commented to each other that the building seemed overcrowded.

Consider that the building was built in 1882 by Fisk Chapel members and friends as a place of worship. There was an altar; there were pews in the nave.

Historic Fisk Chapel was also used for recitals and commencements for the Fisk Street School. I doubt the building ever held 175 people, let alone 225.

The borough paid Ford Farewell Mills and Gatsch $9,800 for a preservation plan for the building; the Historic Association of Fair Haven provided the funds. The plan discusses (pages II-26 and II-27) code compliance, and exits and egress. Though the plan’s assumptions preclude an assembly like that on Sept. 23, Farewell Mills says that with occupancy more than 100, more than one exit is necessary.

The main exit should be capable of handling half the people; the other exits, the other half of the crowd.

On Sept. 23, one side exit was locked and the other partially blocked; handrails in front and on one side were broken.

We must do better than this.

Our public library has a copy of the preservation plan.

Rose Greco

Fair Haven